I believe number one uses a question mark because it doesn't use a ですか. Sentences don't absolutely have to have か's at the end to be questions, but it must be clear that it's a question. The question mark accomplishes that.

Also, sentences don't always use a です, either. It's a copula used to relate the subject of the sentence to another noun or adjective. In number one there is no verb at all. (Which, by the way, seems odd. I thought Japanese sentences always needed a verb?) The sentence reads something like, 'name?', I suppose if it read more like, 'What is your name?' it would use a です. As it is, there is nothing for a です to relate.

The second sentence doesn't use one because it already has a verb (きました） relating the topic (implied you) to the word どこ and doesn't need one. The か is still there as a question marker, however, if you look.

I think that your answer for number one is fine, as long as it's your name. ^^ All your other answers seem correct as long as you live in America, are a student, are in your first year of studying, are fourteen, and are studying Japanese. ^^

Actually, I think it's best to use です when you don't have any other verb as it's a politeness thing, and because, like I said earlier, I was taught that Japanese sentences always need a predicate to be considered 'complete'.

As an example, whereas in English you could say, 'Q: Who gave her the book? A: Mary.' In Japanese you would have to say: 'Q: Who gave her the book? A: Mary did.' In otherwords, a verb or verbal adjective is always needed.

At least, that is how I learned. Your sentence from Genki おなまえは？ makes me wonder if that is right or not, as I assume Genki would be grammatically correct.

I'm not very far in my studies myself, so if anyone has an idea on how to clear that up for me I would be really grateful.

EDIT:

I just saw amego's post. ^^Thanks, that helps a lot.

Also, fliprenegade... 私わケテです wouldn't work because it would be something like... 'I is kete.' Or something like that. At least that's what I think.

おなまえはケテです wouldn't work because you only use the (I think it's an honorific...) お when referring to someone else. わたしのなまえはケテです would work, though dropping the わたしのなまえは and leaving it as just ケテです would probably work just as well and seem more natural.

Last edited by Tegan on Sun 02.12.2006 1:57 am, edited 1 time in total.

fliprenegade wrote:Ok, well the questions and what I think are there answers....I think I'm wrong and I would soo appreciate it if anyone would check and help me ^^ This is an exercise from Genk book 1, page 27 xD

１．おなまえは？ ケてです。

2.どこから きましたか。 アメリカです。

3.しごとは なんですか。 がくせいです。

4.なんねんせえですか。 いちねんせいです。

5.なんさいですか。 庶lです。

6．せんもんは なんですか。 にほんごです。

Oh...and um why does onamae wa have a question mark at the end and how come question 1 and two don't use desu ka?

1) おなまえは？ "your name" です。

2.どこからきましたか。 （where to you come from?) "your hometown" から。

３）しごとは なんですか。(what is your job?)-since you are a student-
わたし は しごと が ありません、でも がくせいです。（ I do not have a job, but I am a student) ::but if you do have a job, just say what job you have::

4.なんねんせえですか。 (what grade are you in?)
"your grade" ねんせいです。

5.なんさいですか。 (how old are you?) 庶lさい です。(you forgot the sai in your reply)

6．せんもんは なんですか。
にほんごです。 (good)

but I would repeat the question, teachers sometimes are too... you know.

わたし の せんもん は 日本語 です。

good luck!!

Last edited by RGmex on Sun 02.12.2006 2:36 am, edited 1 time in total.

You're right, that doesn't make any sense. But... that's not at all a translation of what was posted, so I have no idea what you're getting at.

In Japanese, か at the end takes the place of a question mark (Exactly the same as a question mark actually--except that it's vocalized). And so, with standard writing, whenever there is a か you don't use a question mark (most likely comes from before question marks were adapted for Japanese use. The か makes punctuation unneccesary.)

なまえは？ Is the equivalent of "And your name?". It's not a whole sentence, and so it can't have か on the end. But, to show it's a question, it needs the question mark.

A few notes about the first post:
When saying いちねんせい, you probably want to specify which school you are a first-year at. The way it is, people would assume you're a first-grader A better answer would probably be 高校一年生です （こうこういちねんせいです）

On the question about your age, follow 庶l with さい: 庶l才です （じゅうよんさいです）

Generally, when asked a simple "なに(something)" sentence, you answer with "##(the same something)".

Actually, like Tegan said, I believe you can add 〜です to almost any sentence...or even just say things like 「ですよね？」 as a stand-alone phrase if you're asking for confirmation/agreement about something you just said. But it gets to be kind of over-kill if you add it to everything...in the case of 「どこから来ましか」 you might add it to your response, as in 〜から来ましたのです or 〜から来たのです. Generally, as you learn more, things get more and more casual and abbreviated, and you find particles and ですs getting dropped like crazy....like in the 「お名前は?」 example, I've heard people use as little 「名は？」 when asking someone's name (this is really casual, and kind of rude if you ask me). Well, that's what I think anyway.